An important survey recently revealed what the print buying community is looking for when it comes to printing. The results would help suppliers and print-store owners understand what buyers care about the most.

The survey creator sent a personal note to selected print buyers and asked them to answer 12 questions under the topic of color, quality and consistency. Close to 150 responses came in, and the results were very interesting.

Most of those who are involved in the print industry think that color is the number one reason for liking or disliking a print job. But this survey shows that in fact, quality has a greater impact, and QUALITY is the number one reason for buyers to work with a printer, or to reject jobs.

To be exact, quality was measured by finishing, in regard to whether the buyers received an acceptable result for their job. It makes sense when you think about it – You would most likely reject a job when the finish is bad (scratched covers, uneven crossovers or bad trimming for example), and not because the color is a little less red than you wanted.

The most important conclusion from this survey:

Make sure your customers have a clear understanding of what they should expect when the job is done, and what they can expect if finishing issues arise.